Lockup device



om.I 6, 1925. 1,555,890

S. STEPHENS LOCKUP DEVICE Filed oct. 25, 1924 @y M' www.

Patented ct. 6, 1925.

NT STATES SAMUEL STEPHENS, OF SOMEBVILLE,

STEPHENS AND WICKEBSI-IAM QUOIN CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MASSACHUSETTS, Assieivon To SAMUEL COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

LOOKUP DEVICE.

Application i'iled October 25, 1924. Serial No. 745,797.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that SAMUEL STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an lmprovment in Lookup Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention aims to provide an improved lookup device particularly for use by printers, as for locking up a small form in a large chase7 for locking a chase in the desired position in the press bed, or like purposes.

ln the accompanying drawings showing one illustrative embodiment of my invention:

Fig. 1 illustrates a. chase having a small form locked up therein by a mechanism embodying one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation upon a larger scale of the lookup device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2 but viewing the opposite side of the device;

Fig. 4 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in section upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the locking mechanism:

Referring first to Fig. 1, l have indicated a chase at 1 within which is the relatively small form 2. Said form may be locked in one direction in said chase by any suitable furniture, such as the block 3 and the quoin 4. In the other direction, lengthwise of the chase is illustrated in Fig. 1, said form is confined by an extensible lookup device illusstrating one embodiment of my invention.

As best seen in Figures 2 to 5, said lookup includes a pair of relatively movable, telescoping members 5, 6. The outer member 5 comprises a main portion formed as a substantially rectangular tube of pressed steel or other suitable metal and an end portion or base 7 of quoin-like form. Any suitable construction may be employed for said end portion 7 such, for example as the quoin shown and described in my United States Letters Patent 1,470,297, dated October 9, 1923, and which may be operated by a key inserted at 8 to manipulate the quoin in the usual manner. To adapt said quoin for use in the present connection one of its relatively eXpansible members is preferably cast with a laterally projecting lug 7 having a driving lit within the end of the tubular member 5.

The other or inner member 6 comprises an elongated metallic element adapted to be received within and longitudinally slidable relatively to said outer or tubular member 5. At its outer end said member 6 is provided with a transverse head 9 to afford a secure bearing at that end of the lookup device. Upon one face of said member 6 I provide a longitudinal groove or channel 10 preferably extending from the head 9 to a point adjacent the opposite end of the member 6 and adapted to receive a pin 11 which projects inwardly from the adjacent face of the member 5. During relative movement of the members 5 and 6 the pin rides in said groove 1() and functions both as a guide and as a stop to limit the outward movement of the member 6 relative to the member 5.

Since the members 5 and 6 may frequently be subjected to very considerable end pressure it is essential to look them securely in the desired adjusted position with respect to each other and my invention includes improved means for this purpose. Accordingly one of the relatively movable members, herein the member 6, is provided along one side or face with a series of ratchet teeth 12, each tooth therein having astraight face substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the member' 6 and an inclined face. Cooperating with said ratchet teeth is pawl 13 of substantially rectangular form and having on one broad face a relatively short series of correspondingly shaped teeth 14.

The member 5 is notched or cut out on its side face adjacent the ratchet teeth 12 to provvide an opening 15 through its wall so positioned that the pawl 13 may have a sliding fit therein, said pawl being movable at right angles to the series of ratchet teeth into and out of engagement therewith. Said pawl 18 when engaged with the ratchet teeth seats between the opposed shoulders or abutments 16, 17 formed by the adjacent portions of the member 5.

Any suitable support for the pawl may be provided whereby the latter may have the rectilinear movement above mentioned and herein l have shown for this purpose the slida le pawl carrier 18 extending across the member 5. Said pawl carrier, as seen in detail in Fig. 6, is provided at one end with an upset portion 19 to which the pawl 1S is removably secured by means oi' the screw 2O whereby the pawl may be replaced it desired in case it should become worn. At its opposite end the pawl carrier has a portion bent in the same direction as the portion 19 to provide the operating or linger piece 21.

is previously mentioned the pawl and pawl carrier are movable in a straight line at right angles to the longitudinal axes otl the members 5, 6, substantially j nerpendicularly to their path ot relative movement and in parallelism with the straight faces ot the ratchet teeth. Said pawl carrier is guided by means ot a guide recess or groove 22 in one face of the member 5 and in which the carrier has a sliding lit, being retained in position by suitable means, such as the cover plate 23. rlhe depth ot said guide groove 22 desirably is such that the pawl carrier lies therein tlush with the outer tace ot the member 5 and the cover plate itself is positioned iiatwise against said member to which it is removablj7 secured as by the screws 24, et, ete.

Normally the pawl 13 is held inwardly and in locking engagement with the ratchet teeth 12 by the coil spring 25 which bears intermediate the inner tace of the linger piece 21 and the adjacent side ot the member 5 where it is seated in the retaining recess 26.

1n some instances it is desirable to provide interchangeable members, such as the member 6, of different lengths, in which case the pin 11 may be removed as by driving it out of the member 5 into the hole 2l' provided 'for the purpose in the member 6. The member 6 may then be entirely separated trom the tubular member 5 and a like member of different length substituted. 1n that connection indicating means, such as the window 28, may be provided to aiiord observation of the position oit the member 6 within the member 5.

It will be understood that the member 6 as herein illustrated may be grasped and extended outwardly with respect to the member 5, the inclined sur-faces oi the teeth 12 acting to lit't the pawl and permit relative movement ot the members 5, 6 in one direction. ln the opposite direction, however, the flat or straight faces ot the teeth ailord a iirm lock against any relative ino-vement and resist any torce tending to telescope the members. 1t will be noted that the end thrust is taken otl troni the teeth 12 and 14 and is transmitted to and received directly ff. i,555,eeo

cular to the longitudinal axes ot the inembers 5, 6 and parallel to the straight :taces of the pawl and ratchet teeth assures rapid and accurate locking action and eliminates substantially all back lash or lend play, such as would be occasioned it the pawl 13 were pivotally supported and moved in an arc even of greatest radius possible. rlhe lockup device may therefore be set more accurately and quickly, while at the same time the rugged construction illustrated renders the device extremely compact, all cumbersome projections such as pivoted levers or the like being obviated.

My invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiment thereof shown and described herein.

Claims- 1. ln a printers lookup device comprising a pair ot relatively longitudinally movable members, one adapted to receive the other within it, a longitudinal series of ratchet teeth upon one member, a cooperating pawl having correspondingly shaped teeth, a pawl carrier mounted :for sliding movement across one tace of the other member, and spring means acting upon said carrier normally maintain said pawl in locking position, whereby said pawl may be moved into and out of locking position along a straight path substantially at right angles to the path ot' relative movement of said movable members.

2. A lookup device comprising la tubular member having an adjustable base portion, an inner member adapted to be received within and longitudinally movable relatively to said tubular member, and means to secure said members against relative inward movement when in the desired position oi adjustment, said means comprising a series oi ratchet teeth along one side of said inner member, said teeth having each a straight 'face and an inclined face, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth through an opening in the adjacent portion of said tubular member, an abutment upon said tubular member to engage said pawl thereby to receive the thrust transferred from the teeth, a pawl carrier extending across one tace of said tubular member and mounted for sliding movement along a line parallel to the straight faces of said teeth, a guide for said c rrier in the adjacent tace ot the tubular member, a removable coverplate to retain said pawl carrier in said guide, said pawl being removably connected at one end of said carrier, an operating piece connected to the opposite end ci said carrier, and spring means intermediate said operating piece and the adjacent portion of the tubular member to hold said pavvl normally in engagement with the ratchet teeth.

3. In a printers lookup device, comprising a pair oi relatively longitudinally movable members, one adapted to receive the other Within it, a longitudinal series of ratchet teeth upon one member, a cooperating pawvl having correspondingly shaped teeth, a spring-pressed pawl carrier, and means upon one face the other o said members supporting said carrier for rectilinear sliding movement across said face so as to move said pawl into and out of engagement with said series or teeth.

4:. ln a printers lookup device comprising a tubular member, a member supported therein for longitudinal movement, a longitudinal series of teeth upon one member and a cooperating spring-pressed locking element upon the other member to effect relatively coarse or approximate adjustment or the overall length of the device, the combination therewith of an adjustable base at one end of said tubular member, said base being formed as a quoin including a pair of relatively eXpansible, rigid members eX- tending across the end of said tubular member, the inner one of said rigid members having upon its face adjacent the tubular member a securing lug having a driving lit in the adjacent end or' said tubular member whereby said quoin-like base is secured in operative position to elect fine adjustment in the overall length of the device.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specilication.

SAMUEL STEPHENS. 

